Xtreme Gaming Network

Simulation Racing Leagues => Assetto Corsa => Australian Assetto Corsa League, Tuesday nights => Topic started by: Wally on July 10, 2017, 09:11:41 PM

Title: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on July 10, 2017, 09:11:41 PM
In the inaugural interview of a new feature "Meet the driver", we’re profiling XGN racer Shayne (formerly known as Hylas).
Shayne joined XGN in season 11 in August 2016, where we raced the Toyota 86. Shayne finished his first season in a very creditable 8th position, in a field of 28 racers. From there, his career progression has been:

Season 11 (Toyota 86) – 8th
Season 12 (Ferrari 312/Lotus 72) – 6th
Season 13 (Jap Pack) – 7th
Season 14 (Maserati GT4) – 4th
Season 15 (Praga R1) – 25th (Only ran in 4 races)
Season 16 (Porsche GT3 Cup) – 5th
Season 17 (Lotus Exos) – 7th
 
Shayne’s season results are very consistent across a variety of cars, between 4th and 8th, with the Maserati GT4 bringing him his best result. He’s had 82 races. His solitary race win was in the Nissan Skyline R34 at Tsukuba in 2016, finishing just 0.35 seconds in front of Matthew111.
 
We asked Shayne a few questions:
 
XGN: What is your favourite track?
Shayne: Probably Spa, I really enjoy Imola and Nurburgring as well but I never do well at either of them. I don't really race outside of our league races so a lot of tracks that I have little knowledge of, do come as a surprise to me and I can find I really like a track that I've rarely seen before. As it stands, Spa stands out as the most favourite.
 
XGN: What is your favourite style of car to race and why?
Shayne: Similar story as the favourite track, I don't get through testing a lot of them so chances are there's going to be one that I haven't done many laps with that could end up being a favourite. I do enjoy open wheelers, I was really hoping that the 98T was picked for last season as that was a blast in practice. Also the season where we had the older Lotus 72D Vs Ferrari 312 ? I don't remember the models exactly, but that season was very enjoyable. I really enjoy them older open wheelers where throttle control can make or break your race at any one turn.
 
XGN: Who do you most like to beat?
Shayne: Now this is the question! This answer has actually changed as time has gone by. Initially it was you for a long time Wally :P
The idea behind it, is that I mostly want to beat the guy that's just in front or just behind me most of the time. As we have gained more members, I find there's always someone moving into that space that I want to beat more then anyone else. Last season it was ab156 but this season could be different. Sometimes I really try to beat Mael but it depends on the cars, some cars I have a chance and other cars he just always has that little bit extra. I still always look to try to place ahead of you Wally, but as the field has grown. It's become very busy around our speed so I try to qualify as fast as possible and hope that those around my speed end up fighting each other so I can try make a gap.
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Phil.8 on July 10, 2017, 10:21:46 PM
Very very cool idea, I like it a lot and look forward to more :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: grat on July 11, 2017, 03:47:02 AM
Very very cool idea, I like it a lot and look forward to more :)
+1!
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Bruce on July 11, 2017, 08:14:04 AM
+1 * 2  (Idea and profile)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on July 11, 2017, 09:48:28 AM
I'll pop these up from time to time.
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: rooshooter on July 11, 2017, 10:19:46 AM
Great idea Wally.
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Matthew111 on July 11, 2017, 04:49:49 PM
haha cool :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on July 21, 2017, 07:33:49 PM
Meet the Driver - AJ

Today we spoke to XGN racer AJ, who participated in his first Tuesday season in season 10, January 2016, where he drove a Mercedes SLS GT3 to finish 20th in the GT3 season. Since his low key start, with 73 Tuesday races under his belt, he has peaked so far in season 15 in the Praga R1, finishing the season in 17th, with a season-high race finish of 4th at Zandvoort.
As well as driving in the last 8 Tuesday seasons and the upcoming Ford Escort season, AJ is a regular Thursday night participant.

With Ford Escort trial race results of 11th and 6th, season 18 has the potential to be one of AJ's best seasons.

We asked AJ a few questions.

XGN: What is your favourite track?
AJ: Tough question, I like a few! I can't really narrow it down to one, but my top 3 are definitely Bathurst, Estoril and the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

XGN: What is your favourite style of car to race and why?
AJ: Late 60s to Early 80s Touring Cars are my favourite. I just love the rawness of them. The noise and the feel in particular. There's just something primal about that connection between man and machine that I feel is a bit lost in more modern cars. When I was a young boy I had a lot of toy cars and most of my favourites were those. My Dad also had a lot of old books about Touring Car racing in Australia (Particularly about Bathurst in the 70s and 80s) that I used to read back to front all the time.

XGN: Who do you most like to beat?
AJ: I don't really try to beat anybody in particular, mostly because I feel like I'm too inconsistent a racer! In the earlier days of my sim racing "career" I tried to beat specific people or be within a certain top percentage of the grid but I found myself getting too frustrated and not enjoying it as much as I should have been. These days I just tried to focus on consistency, fun, and enjoying the little battles you get into in every race, even if that battle is more with yourself and the car than it is with other racers, and I find by doing that I have a much better time. :D

Thanks AJ.
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: rooshooter on July 21, 2017, 08:09:24 PM
Thanks AJ and Wally  :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Phil.8 on July 21, 2017, 08:13:00 PM
Thanks AJ and Wally  :)

Thanks :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: grat on July 22, 2017, 07:11:12 AM
This is really cool. Keep 'em coming :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on August 16, 2017, 08:11:25 PM
Meet the Driver - Bacchulum

Before we raced Assetto Corsa at XGN, starting in June 2014, we raced in Kunos Simulazioni’s netKar PRO, starting in April 2011. Some names from those very first netKar PRO races who are still racing today are DaveO, Flattop, Rob and Simone. In netKar season 2, round 3, we were joined by the driver we now know as Bacchulum. Since his debut in the netKar Formula 1800 at Ricardo Tormo, Bacchulum is now a veteran of 454 races at XGN in netKar/AC. He has 53 wins in netKar, and 6 wins in AC.
 
Bacchulum was the joint season champion in season 9 (with StanDaam), in the Formula Renault 3.5, and he also finished 3rd in the Lotus Exos 125 season. His worst season result was 15th in the Maserati GT4, so it would appear to be fair to say his best results have come in open wheelers. He normally finishes seasons around 6th or 7th, being a consistently good performer.
 

XGN: Tell us about your racing rig. What would you upgrade if money was no objective?

Bacchulum: If money were no objective I'd get one with wheels and an engine. :D
But let’s assume we're still sim. My current rig is a Next Level GTXtreme cockpit, 3 x 22" monitors, Fanatec CSR Elite wheel, Clubsport v2 pedals and a DSD button panel.
All I'd upgrade is the wheel and pedals to the latest Fanatec gear. I'd like larger monitors but would necessitate a larger unit, which brings us back to "If money were no objective...".
 
XGN: What is your favourite style of racing car, and what do you like about it? 

Bacchulum: Formula!
They're pure race cars, designed and built for nothing but racing. Not adapted passenger cars.
Favourite of the formula cars? Formula 5000. They kept the aero pre-diffuser.
 
XGN: What's one thing you'd like to improve about your racing? 

Bacchulum: Winning. ;)
I'd like to win more. That's one thing. ;)
 
Thanks Bacchulum.
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Phil.8 on August 16, 2017, 10:33:19 PM
Thats a lot of races, Bacchulum is my least favorite driver to get behind when running faster, he has nerves of steel and rarely misses an apex
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: rooshooter on August 17, 2017, 06:54:01 AM
It never ceases to amaze me that he can set his near best time on  a new track after just a few laps, and he almost never makes a mistake the off he had in last weeks race was a very rare occasion.
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: grat on August 18, 2017, 01:00:58 AM
 :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Bruce on August 21, 2017, 09:10:04 AM
A good overview and love the "Bucchulumistic" outlook :)

Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on October 25, 2017, 06:56:18 PM
Meet the Driver – Matthew111
 
Today we caught up with XGN racer Matthew111 of Struggle Street Racing Crew. Matthew is a triple XGN champion, winning the LaFerrari/McLaren P1, Jap Pack and Exos 125 seasons. Matthew started with XGN in November 2014 in Season 4 to great success, finishing 2nd in the championship standings behind alien Guybrush Threepwood, and again 2nd behind StanDaam in season 5. His first championship win was to come in season 7, which has since been followed by an impressive number of championship podium finishes in most seasons. In the overall driver statistics, Matthew holds the title of most outright podium finishes, as well as being the most consistent driver overall. In fact, with Guybrush no longer racing at XGN, Matthew is now our resident alien, being the overall best performer across all seasons to date.

Matthew is a veteran of 197 races at XGN, with his 200th race coming up at Nurburgring later this season in an LMP1 car.

XGN: Do you spend much time practising and/or tweaking setups? If you do, what's the main thing you focus on?

Matthew: No not really id say 80% of the time i dont as i dont have the time and if i do its probably only 20 laps at most. Most of my work is done in the hour prac session pre race usually i try and enter 30mins earlier to make the most of it, its a fun challenge to adapt and get the car to work, i guess just like in real life lol. My order of doing things is to start with getting the tyres to work, pressures etc as you cant get a feel for the car if they arnt working, once thats all good ill set the dampers up and then roll bars and springs with a bit of fine tuning between the two, I find its important not to jump around too much between things as you can easily screw it up and find yourself running in circles, so dont move on to the next thing until your satisfied with the part your on.
 
XGN: What other leagues have you (or do you) race with?

Matthew: Im exclusive to XGN wally does such a great job i have no need to go anywhere else :P I started my sim career at xgn back in the rfactor v8factor days a long time ago then disappeared for a while until AC came out and signed back up here.
 
XGN: Which cars do you like racing the most and why?

Matthew: Im a tin top man, preferably touring cars. I just like the patience and technique thats needed to flow them around the track to extract the lap time and they arn't as setup reliant so you can hustle them and drive around the weaknesses more than you would a open wheeler, also i grew up watching touring cars and just prefer the style of racing they offer. But in saying that since racing here i have learnt a lot in racing other categories and the styles required to set them up and race them and have enjoyed it.


Thanks Matthew.

 
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: grat on October 25, 2017, 07:48:53 PM
 :) :) :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Matthew111 on October 25, 2017, 07:56:43 PM
wow 200 already where did that go! will have to make nurburgring a special one, lucky its one of my fav tracks so quiet appropriate :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on February 18, 2018, 12:42:48 PM
Meet the Driver – Kcender87

It’s time to meet XGN league racer Kcender87. Kcender87 won his first XGN championship last season racing the BMW M235i, winning 9 out of 21 races. Kcender87 first raced with XGN in December 2016 in Season 15 in the Praga R1, where he won his very first race and followed that up with a second place and another win in the opening round, sending a message to the leaders that here was a contender for the pointy end of the field.

Kcender87 also had great success in the Lotus Exos 125 and the LMP1 seasons, finishing both of those seasons in 2nd place. His success has been limited only by him being unable to attend all rounds in a season. With more consistent attendance, I’m sure we’d see him take a season podium position more often.

In the overall XGN racer rankings, Kcender87 is in second place, behind legendary racer Guybrush Threepwood. He has also put in the most consistent lap times more than any other XGN racer.

XGN: What is your favourite style of car to race and why?

Kcender87: To race? Any category that allows the field to find about the same overall lap speed but in different ways - a standardised formula with various interpretations meeting that formula. Porsche Cup etc are great too but can end up with the field line astern with not so much close racing but close driving for lack of a better description.

That said I tend to find myself always going back to the historics (Group C, old DTM, old F1 and old old old F1) for the most enjoyment. Feeling the thing move under you and the more progressive and slightly rubbish tyres make them enjoyable. That said, I am a massive fan of the F2004 for some entirely different reason too.

XGN: Do you have any real-life racing or trackday experience?

Kcender87: Just hill-climbs, karting and a few track days here and there over the years in various different cars - nothing properly competitive though - that costs time and money and the damage tends to usually be someone else's fault  :P

XGN: Are you for or against success ballast, and why?

Kcender87: To achieve a balance of performance and bunch up the field I dont have an issue with it - its likely the best of a long list of far from perfect solutions and it should tend to have a similar effect as above at (1). Only tends to become an issue with secondary consequences such as where it has compound effects at one track (say with long straights and up hill sections like RedBull Ring) where the impacts go beyond the simple additional weight.

That said, everyone is subject to the same rules so get over it and drive the car :P
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: grat on February 18, 2018, 12:55:13 PM
:) :) :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Phil.8 on February 18, 2018, 04:44:15 PM
Thanks for the interview :)
Title: Re: "Meet The Driver"
Post by: Wally on December 06, 2019, 06:01:44 PM
Meet the Driver – AGK
 
It’s time to get to know another XGN league racer, AGK. AGK joined XGN in season 28 (GPL ’67) in May this year. He’s racked up 55 league races and already sits at number 16 in the all-time standings. AGK finished 6th in the GPL ’67 season, 5th in the TCR season and 4th in the Supercars. His sim racing career appears to be on the up and up.
                                                       
We asked AGK a few questions.
 
XGN: When did you start sim racing, and what sims have you used?

AGK: My first racing game experience would be Papyrus's Indycar Racing which I played with a keyboard in the early 90s, but my first 'proper' sim set up with a wheel and pedals was "GTR 2" around 2006, then I started playing rFactor for quite some time. I had a break for a few years before getting back into it with Assetto Corsa after a major computer upgrade. Today, I'm mainly into Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione with VR - occasionally I'll play a bit of rFactor 2 and KartKraft. I only started online/multiplayer racing in Assetto Corsa.
 
XGN: What is your favourite track, and why? 

AGK: I don't really have a single favourite, but I have a couple that I enjoy a lot. Bathurst would be up there as it has a bit of everything, the challenge of the elevation changes and cambers across the track is quite enjoyable. I also enjoy Spa and Circuit de la Sarthe.
 
XGN: Do you have any real-life racing or trackday experience?
 
AGK: No real life racing whatsoever except for maybe a few friendly kart sessions.

XGN: Thanks AGK.
 
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal